Detroit Bike Tour Review – 2 Hours of Colorful Storytelling

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They story of how I got to Detroit is a pretty short one – I visited for a concert. However, since the concert was literally only two hours long and I would be in the city for a full four days, I wanted to find other cool things to do in Detroit for my remaining 94 hours. That’s when I came across a Detroit bike tour.

Detroit bike tour? Detroit??? BIKE TOUR??

In my head, which knows nothing about Detroit btw, I hadn’t pictured the city to be very biker friendly. For one, it’s a pretty sizeable city, and in my experience in the US, those didn’t make for the besttt biking experiences.

Two. It’s…Detroit. Literally MOTOR CITY. Could a city that blossomed under the automotive industry be built in such a way that Detroit bike tours could even be enjoyable?

In short, I was intrigued. Coming from Portland, Oregon, a city literally known for biking (and legal drugs, but who’s counting), my standard for a bike-friendly city is pretty high. Do the roads have bike lanes, and if not, are they big enough to comfortably bike alongside cars? Do drivers know how to share the road with cyclists? Is the city easy to navigate on a bike, and are things reasonably close enough to travel to on bike?

I booked the tour – I was ready to find out.

Details and Costs

• Location: Detroit, Michigan USA
• Meeting Spot: Electric Avenue Bikes, a bike shop in Midtown Detroit
• Parking at Meeting Spot: Free
• Duration: 2 Hours
• Cost: $79.99 USD per person booked directly on website; $100 USD pp on Airbnb Experiences
• Minimum Age: ages 10 and up can attend, must be able to fit on an XS size adult e-bike
• Activity Level: Light/beginner
• Booking Link: Direct Link for Detroit Bike Tour ; Airbnb Link for Detroit Bike Tour (Murals on an Electric Bike)

Why Did I book This Tour?

Aside from wanting to move my body a bit while on vacation, I booked this Detroit bike tour for a few reasons. One, because it was easy to book. I found the tour quickly by searching for Airbnb experiences on Airbnb. These experiences are (usually) given by residents of the destination and can give a little more personal insight than you may get from a larger less-intimate tour.

There were a few Detroit experiences that looked interesting to me, like the Honeybee Tour, but for my dates specifically, the experience that stood out the most was this Detroit Bike Tour that specifically focused on seeing murals around Detroit.

If y’all know me. I LOVE A GOOD STREET ART MOMENT. (See also: Desert X, Seven Magic Mountains, Wynwood Walls, Salvation Mountain, etc)

Even more, the host Jason Hall is a lifelong Detroiter. I felt like the value of his experiences growing up, living, and working in Detroit would be such an incredible resource to understanding what makes Detroit…well, Detroit. He also founded and leads a ton of bike and biking programs, spoken at TEDx conferences, and even owns a whole e-bike shop.

Like…the guy KNOWS what he’s doing.

Plus…yah, it’s on an electric bike. Yeah. I was sold.

*I didn’t know about them previous to finding the Detroit bike tour on Airbnb, but I’d recommend booking with them directly so you don’t have to pay more from the Airbnb fees. But also, you might have Airbnb credit, so do whatever works best for your situation

Getting There

I booked the Detroit bike tour on a Monday. Yeah yeah, I know it’s not the most popular day to travel, but if you cannn visit cities on their slower days, you get a lot of perks. I’ll expand on that in a bit.

Anyways, the weather was in that in-between stage, where there was a 30% chance of rain, it was a bit overcast…realistically it could’ve swung either way. As someone coming from Portland…a lil rain wouldn’t ruin my day and I would’ve been fine either way, but the weather is something to check ahead before you book.

You tour will meet at Electric Avenue Bikes, located in Midtown. Honestly, there’s a lot of cool stuff over in Midtown, so I’d recommend grabbing a bite to eat nearby and then walking around for a bit before your tour. For food, I highly recommend heading to The Block (loved their salmon patty!!) or Warda Pâtisserie for some smaller pastries. They are both a short 10 minute walk away (literally like 3 blocks over). There are also some shops in the area to pass the time. I really enjoyed checking out Source Booksellers, and picked up a few new reads!

ANYWAYS, back to the Detroit bike tour.

Once it’s time for your ride, you can park in the parking lot behind Electric Avenue Bikes. Mostly because it’s free, but you’ll also be out for a few hours and the peace of mind of having your car a little more secure is always nice!

Getting Started

In our pre-tour communication, Jason recommended we arrive about 30 minutes before the tour time so that we could fill out waivers, get fitted to our bikes, etc etc. Jason will greet you at the door of Electric Avenue Bikes (or feel free to walk in if it’s open – my tour was on a day it was closed), do some quick introductions with names and whatnot, then you’ll have some time to fill out the safety waivers.

The shops is super nice and has a ton of cool bikes. While I was filling out the form, we chatted about why I was in Detroit and just casual small talk. Then Jason went to go grab bikes for us.

After about 5-10 minutes, you’ll follow Jason outside through the back door of the shop and you’ll be in the back parking lot (where you can park if you have a car). There, Jason will help adjust the bike to your height and leg length. You’ll also do a few little laps around the parking lot just to get a feel for the bike and its various speeds – and also so Jason can check if you bike needs additional adjustments.

The e-bikes have 4 speeds. I…forgot what all of them are called, but the first speed is basically with no assistance, as if you were just pedaling a normal bike.

That said, e-bikes are like…twice the weight of a normal bike. That’s where the 2nd speed comes in: eco. It basically counterbalances the additional weight and it FEELS like you are pedaling a normal bike. I am probably about…an average level of fitness (I work out a few times a week) and I was comfortable riding in eco for most of the ride.

The 3rd speed is sport, and I don’t remember how much of a difference it makes, but it definitely makes it a lot easier, more like you are gliding along rather than pedaling. And the last speed is turbo. This takes ALL the work out of pedaling and is very useful for going up hills. With all of that squared away and your helmet fastened, you’re ready to start your Detroit bike tour!

The Detroit Bike Tour

Now, I signed up for the Detroit bike tour that focused on the city’s murals, artists, and pieces showcased for Murals in the Market (MITM), an annual Detroit festival of…well murals, specifically located in the Eastern Market area. It was the city’s first time hosting the festival since 2019 (yanno, pandemic and all), and I could feel that excitement come through on the walls.

I won’t go too in-depth on what was covered and the significance of certain pieces, because that’s what the Detroit bike tour is for, but I will talk about the more general aspects of it. First, Detroit is a surprisingly bike-able city. For a major city, traffic wasn’t too bad or aggressive, and major roads had bike lanes.

The city also felt relatively close together, so we covered a lot more ground that I would have guessed. We covered neighborhoods and areas like Brush Park, the Eastern Market, Dequindre Cut, downtown, the riverfront, and back through Midtown. Since there we were the only two guests on the Detroit bike tour, we had extra time to squeeze in riding through the Belt. Lots of cool places that I wish I had more time in the city to explore deeper.

I will say that the Detroit bike tour is on the more energized side with a very fun and playful atmosphere. A lot of this I’m sure depends on the group, so you get the energy you put in. Jason is a very charismatic guide, and weaves in a lot of jokes into his colorful stories behind the city’s history. I felt super comfortable and even a bit charismatic myself on his tour, and we had some great chats while riding along. He also has a microphone and speaker mounted to his bike, so you’ll still be able to hear him regardless of your tour size!

Critiques

This is a first for someone like me who loves to complain, but I honestly don’t have ANY complaints on this Detroit bike tour. I absolutely loved every part haha. My only critique was that IT WASNT LONG ENOUGH!!! I could’ve ridden around with Jason the entire day!

One thing I do want to point out though is that we didn’t stop at every mural. It’s not a photo-tour. So that MAY be a little disappointing if you are someone who likes to take a picture of EVERYTHING. But even if you’re passing one that you fall in love with, Jason had no problem adding in a quick spot for photos. I never felt awkward or uncomfortable asking for a quick photo op. And his camera eye is pretty good too if you need a photographer!

Another thing to keep in mind – you’re biking around a city and…the city does not care if you are on a tour or not. Cars might be parked in front of a mural. Traffic might be blocking a certain area. There might even be other Detroit bike tours (or walking/segway tours) going on and sharing the space with you. I got lucky by doing a weekday tour on a holiday (so a lot of businesses were closed = no cars) and I was able to see everything, but just know Jason will work with those variables to craft the best experience for the conditions.

Lastly, this is not the Tour de France. It is a very leisurely ride on an e-bike around neighborhoods. If you are a hardcore cyclist and wanting something strenuous or challenging…you’re not going to find that here. I mean, for starters…it’s an electric bike. So…it’s very chill.

Hopefully this post helps paint a realistic expectation of this Detroit bike tour!

Tips for Future Guests

If I’ve interested you in taking this Detroit bike tour focused on seeing the murals of Detroit, then GREAT. I’m doing my blogging job right haha. It really is a fantastic tour, and right up there with one of my favorite tours I’ve taken in the entire COUNTRY, the Black Wall Street tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

And you KNOW how much I loved that tour.

This Detroit bike tour? Yeah, it’s right alongside it.

So in order for you to have an equally amazing time, I have a few tips that may make your trip smoother if you’re new to doing city tours or just biking in general.

• Do wear comfortable clothing: You don’t need high-tech athletic wear, but wear something comfortable and with a bit of stretch. You might be getting on and off frequently for pictures, so best to avoid clothing with a risk of ripping, or have details that might get snagged on something.
• Do pick a less-busy day: If you can sign up for a slow weekday (Mon-Wed), or even better on a holiday where businesses close, you will have the best chance of having less traffic and seeing more of the murals without obstruction. It’s still a great tour on weekends, but just something to note!
• Do be ready to chat: It’s half the fun of this Detroit bike tour! Come with questions about Detroit, or ask them as they pop up during the trip! Jason is the Detroit EXPERT.
• Don’t be self-conscious about “fitness”: Riding an e-bike seriously takes the LEAST amount of effort, and if you can walk, in general you can get used to an e-bike fairly easily. The maximum weight for e-bikes are also usually around 275-300lbs.

Conclusion

If you couldn’t tell by the rest of this post, I absolutely loved this Detroit bike tour. Jason was an amazing host, and we covered a lot of great murals and their background. Be prepared, you WILL fall in love (or at least a strong sense of appreciation) after this experience.

In fact, I was only in Detroit for four days and I already want to go back to explore more of it, in large part because of this Detroit bike tour. When I inevitably return, I’m definitely booking another tour with Jason! While the other tours aren’t available for booking on Airbnb, if you book direct, you’ll find the other city tours Jason offers, like the 5 neighborhood bike tour and the PIZZA BIKE TOUR.

A pizza tour? In DETROIT? One of the TOP pizza cities in the USA?

Oh yeah, I’m definitely coming back.

Jason, get ready for our next photoshoot – and tell Carlos we’re swinging by! I wanna ring the Unity Bell!! Hahah

Have you visited Detroit before? What were your impressions? Even if you haven’t, would you want to go on this Detroit bike tour? Let me know in the comments below!

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